Faculty

Galina Afenko

MA in Philology (TEFL), University of Latvia

What I like about teaching English:
Most of all I like teaching young adults and adults. I love learning new things, looking for new ideas, techniques and strategies in teaching. I also enjoy peer teaching as it gives much more possibilities to find the best ways of sharing knowledge with our students.

Professional interests:
I like teaching using IT and am an e-moderator. It means that I have many ideas of how to teach using online resources. I also enjoy materials development as it gives endless possibilities to develop professionally making my job more interesting.

Other interests/hobbies:
I like reading very much and good books give me inspiration for successful teaching, stimulate to develop and help me relax. Besides I am fond of travelling, visiting new places, meeting people and communicating. I am keen on singing, knitting and sometimes write poems.

Kumar Agarwal

MSc, PhD Cand. Riga Technical University

What I like about teaching English:
The thing I like best about teaching is that it gives me immense pleasure and can even make me forget the tensions of everyday life, job satisfaction which I get being able to actually give students knowledge and observing them acquire a skill or concept they have been struggling to understand and master the language and the idea that I am touching and hopefully changing the life of a person for the better. I love the daily contact with the students. Not only do I teach them but they also teach me a lot, not too much about subject matter. They are alive and if aimed in the right direction, they are ready to outrun the sun. I also like the daily contact with my colleagues for much the same reason. I mean I am basically paid to give my time to do something I love doing.

Professional interests:
CALL (Computer-assisted Language Learning)

Other interests/hobbies:
Anything which is a real stress buster and a nice escape from the drudgery of routine and monotonous life, in particular travelling and recently gardening.

Iveta Aksincica

MA TEFL (University of Latvia)

My professional interests are deeply rooted in teaching business English, the most enjoyable part being the fusion of language and functional skills. As I find work/life balance vital I am keen on travelling and performing arts.

Jelena Brusjanina

MA TEFL, MBA

What I like about teaching English:
What I like most about teaching English is to watch my students make progress. Teaching English enables you to be creative. It is fun (unless it is TOEFL ;))))))

What I like about teaching English:
Watching students make progress and start enjoying the language as their confidence grows. A very special atmosphere in a language classroom as for me it is very much about communication and creativity. The opportunity to learn from students as they bring their own experiences and perspectives to whatever is discussed.

Professional interests:
As a language educator: materials and course design, teacher training, brain-based learning and teaching, content in a language classroom, emotional aspect of learning.
As a manager: holistic approaches to management, management styles and roles. I’m also interested in educational projects as I’m on the European list of experts for management of projects in languages and adult education.

Other interests:
I’m an avid reader and I love travelling and meeting new people. I like learning new things and try to practice what I preach about life-long learning. I don’t possess any artistic talents but can be seen at theatres, concerts and exhibitions.

Nora Jurjāne

The first thing that comes to my mind why teaching English is my most favourite job so far is that it provides endless opportunities of reativity. The sky is the limit and that applies to every single day. It is rewarding to meet different students and search for an individual approach. Not many things in life give so much joy as a sparkle in your student's eyes finally understanding a grammar rule.

Professional interests:

Since I have worked in Hospitality, Marketing and Financial industries English for Specific Purposes/Business English is my cup of tea. Working in a secondary school also Academic Writing (Essay writing) is a very crucial aspect of teaching English and it is a great challenge to assist others in developing and organizing their ideas.

Other interests:

I love travelling, particularly visiting different cities. I find watching TV series, going to the theatre or opera a deserved break from work. And, of course, spending time with my family or friends is priceless.

Jelena Kilgaste

BA in humanities (University of Latvia, 1999)

What I like about teaching English:
There are several things I like about teaching English. One of them is the opportunity to learn. Teaching is a process that incorporates sharing knowledge and skills with others and, equally, learning new skills and gathering new information in order not to lose touch with what you teach. Another is the social aspect of the job. Meeting people and communicating with them is the most exciting thing in the world, a journey full of discovery and a very valuable experience.

Professional interests:
My professional interests mainly lie in the sphere of the most challenging professional tasks I deal with in the process of teaching. These include finding ways of enhancing motivation in my classroom, developing strategies of managing mixed ability groups, etc. As a professional translator/interpreter, I am interested in the creative aspects of translation.

Ingrida Kevisa

Dr. philol.(University of Latvia)

Has over 20 years’ working experience in various institutions of higher education in Latvia and in the area of adult education. Extensive teaching experience in General English in all skill areas. Has also taught Business English, Academic Writing, ESP courses and Speciality Discourse in English.

Professional interests include cross-cultural communication, course design and the development of specialist language skills, enabling people work more confidently and effectively in today’s multicultural working environment and raising students’ awareness of their own culture and that of the target language.

Jūlija Kuzņecova

MBA (Baltic International Academy), MA in Educational Science (University of Latvia), BA in English Philology (University of Latvia), PhD student at BA School of Business and Finance

What I like about teaching English:
The relevance of course materials to life, a balance between spontaneity and structure, as well as an emotional impact.

Professional interests:
English for academic purposes, business English, individual learning styles.

What I like about teaching English:
Apart from the fact that teaching English is exciting and obviously a wonderful experience, it is quite challenging at times and that is when the teacher has to portray his or her creativity including classroom management.

Professional interests
further academic development.

Other interests/hobbies
Music and Sports

Sandra Nore

University of Latvia, MA (Paed)

I’m Sandra, a teacher of English, with a certain amount of relevant certificates according to my education to teach English here in Latvia. It is a formal side but next to it exists a considerable experience of being an educator at secondary school with young adults in Riga, with adults at ELC, as well as priceless lessons learnt in Oregon, USA taught by American and Hispanic pupils and professional teachers at middle school for one school year.

I express my gratification and honour to anyone who shares the same expectations I have while acquiring anything new – it is more about ‘a giving right questions than a giving of right answers’ (by Josef Albers). Diving in, mumbling, stumbling, talking, discussing, arguing, being mad and confused, having fun and being able to express ourselves – it is not telling, teaching but involvement and learning for 12 weeks (our regular language course) and then together with us once more or on their own, the students are able to communicate and ‘survive’ not only at school with all ‘schoolish’ requirements but outside Latvia in common surrounding or professional environment.

I appreciate a loving family and close friends, flower pots on my balcony from early spring to late autumn, carrots and green grass (like in rainforest) in my garden, vast bright blue sky, cold water, high peaks with snow in winter and with glacier in summer somewhere and here, faithful people and absolute solitude - filling me with the power of wisdom and enlightenment.

Andra Piebalga

MA TEFL (University of Latvia)

What I like about teaching English:
I started teaching by chance. I had never thought of becoming a teacher before but after several years of teaching I realized it wasn’t as bad as I had imagined. Even more, to my big surprise, I found teaching quite pleasurable. So ...... I am still here. Working with adults is special as they have their life and work experience and they know what exactly they want.
Teaching is learning: you have to learn professionally but you learn a lot from your students.
Teaching is sharing: you share your knowledge, students share their experience and together you share your positive ideas, emotions.

Professional interests:
teaching grammar.

Other interests/hobbies:
seeing new places.

Jesse Turner

University of Warwick BSc (Hons) Mathematics, TESOL

What I like about teaching English:
The best thing about teaching is the feeling of satisfaction when a lesson is well received. I also enjoy the classroom atmosphere and interacting with people from different walks of life.

Professional interests:
Teaching grammar, TOEFL iBT. E-learning is a more recent interest.

Other interests:
My two young children monopolise most of my free time, but I enjoy baking and cooking and criticising their end results. I follow football but not avidly. I have been starting to learn to play the guitar for almost 2 years.